As we evolve from 3G and 4G and finally to 5G communications today, these new mobile communication technologies reshape and penetrate virtually every aspect of our day-to-day lives. When newer generations emerge as a result of researchers developing communication technologies, the application of these technologies span the entire globe and the latent effects are truly immense. These researchers are taking it to the next level in their commitment to being first in line to develop next-generation 6G technology.

The Wireless Communications and Sensing Research Lab (WiSe Lab) directed by professor Namyoon Lee at the Department of Electrical Engineering, POSTECH, is imagining just how 6G will take shape. What is not certain is whether 6G will focus on the continued increases in data transmission rates, a rise in data speed or novel technologies for energy efficiency or massive connectivity. The WiSe Lab is leveraging 6G theories and statistical signal processing to seek solutions for tomorrow’s wireless communications systems.

The WiSe Lab considers MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) technology enabled by a massive number of antennas as the core of 6G communications. This logic is based on the fact that the evolution of communications systems is directed in a way to deploy an increasingly large number of antennas. While this helps improve transmission rates and reliability, it also results in growing complexity. To address this dilemma and welcome the growth along with the complexity it will bring, the Lab focuses on ultra-low power massive MIMO, super-dense MIMO networks, and multiplexing techniques.

Research is also underway to harness AI in the study of communications technology. Unlike voice/video recognition where AI has a profound impact, communications systems demand sophisticated designs which leaves less room for AI to serve its purpose. The Lab is taking an inverse approach by studying communications systems where AI can be better used to broaden the application of AI as a result.

It is often said that research on communication theories rarely produces notable academic outcomes as this concerns technologies that should be readily adopted in our everyday lives. The WiSe Lab, however, proudly challenges this widely held assumption as its researchers are honored at the Samsung Humantech Paper Awards, ICT paper competitions and other prestigious awards for their research findings each year. Professor Lee himself received the Asia-Pacific Outstanding Young Researcher Award by the IEEE, the largest academic organization in the field of electric and electronic technology, in 2016 as well as the Outstanding Young Professional Award by the IEEE Communications Society last year.